As soon as I heard about it, I started to harass the Brod & Taylor people into sending me one to test. And they did. For free, likely so I’d talk to you about it. But I want you to know about it so you might have options.

There is one hitch. It’s quite spendy.

Like 148 bucks spendy. *ouch* I’m pretty much hoping it’s going to come down in price. Or go on special. Or be sold as a twofer or something. ‘Cause it’s really really revolutionary for gluten-free baking. And since I bake so much bread, I would probably buy one even if I had to pay real coin for it.

Let’s take it for a spin.

You start with dough made with only 4 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour. See how wet it is?

Add enough extra flour (about another cup) so that it pulls away from the sides of the bowl. You can do this by hand, if you don’t have a stand mixer. It’s just a lot more work, and the results tend to be a bit more inconsistent. No biggie.

Then divide the dough (with a bench scraper if you have one – see? so useful) into 12 pieces. With wet hands, roll the dough into balls (or whatever shape you like).

Place them in the proofer (or in your microwave using our low-tech tricks)…

…at about 88 degrees until the dough has risen to about 150% of its original size.

That, and you don’t have to babysit the dough while it’s rising. You can even go run an errand. I really like not being tethered to the dough while I’m making bread. And you can also use the proofer to maintain the temperature of tempered chocolate, or make yogurt.

It’s not for everybody, especially at this price, but it is nice. And I wanted you to know about it. I hope you don’t mind.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, place 4 cups of flour, and the xanthan gum, cornmeal sugar, kosher salt, cream of tartar, and yeast. Mix at low speed to combine. Add the butter, eggs and milk, blending well after each addition. Now, turn the mixer up to at least half speed, and beat for a few minutes. Cover the mixture with a kitchen towel if necessary to avoid the escape of any bits of dough. The dough will be too wet, and will stick to the sides of the bowl (see photo).

Add enough of the remaining flour & mix enough to make the dough smooth, but still tacky to the touch. It should begin to pull away from the sides of the bowl (see photo). You should need at least another cup of flour, for a total of at least 5 cups.

Turn the dough out onto a a Silpat or piece of parchment paper. Divide it with a bench scraper, if you have one, into about 12 pieces of relatively equal size (see photo). With wet hands, shape into rounds or rectangles — whatever roll shape you’d like.

Arrange the rolls about 3/4-inch apart on nonstick or parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Allow the dough to rise in a warm and moist, draft-free area for about 30 to 45 minutes, or until they’ve grown to about 150% of what they were. Ideally, the rolls will be side by side, nearly touching, once they have risen.

Once the dough has finished rising, with very wet fingers, smooth out the holes on the surface (created by the yeast) for a uniform appearance. Using a pastry brush, coat the tops of the rolls with the egg white, and sprinkle with the (optional) seeds. Then place the rolls in the center of the preheated oven, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until uniformly brown.

Serve immediately, wrap in wax paper and store at room temperature for a few days (and then quickly microwave before eating to freshen them), or freeze in plastic bags for up to 3 months and defrost in the refrigerator.

Gluten-Free on a Shoestring [Second Edition]:

[…] dish too high, so the dough has room to rise. Smooth over the dough with wet hands. [I used my Brod & Taylor bread proofer, and got the nicest, most even rise. More even than I ever dreamed. I do hope Santa leaves one of […]

Has anyone tried these rolls with egg replacer? I really miss having a good roll and these look wonderful but I can’t use eggs. The proofer sounds like a great tool, may have to put it on my wish list.

Nicole

December 18, 2011 at 2:41 PM

Hi, Trish, I’ve never tried them with an egg replacer, but eggs aren’t that prominent a part of the recipe that you shouldn’t be able to use an effective egg replacer. From what I understand, a flax seed or chia seed hot water slurry seems to work best as an egg replacer. You need the protein – so something like applesauce, which only adds moisture, is not an effective egg sub. I would also try posting your question on the Community Site to crowd source from other readers. I’m sure you’ll get more support there. xoxo Nicole

Rae Robins

December 16, 2011 at 9:27 AM

“you don’t have to babysit the dough while it’s rising. You can even go run an errand. I really like not being tethered to the dough while I’m making bread.” While you’re running your errand just go buy some dinner rolls and avoid the whole mess at home.

bookladyDavina

December 16, 2011 at 4:17 PM

if only it were that easy for those of us with food allergies. Esp if there are multiple ones involved. Not to mention the high cost for it as well. It’s much cheaper to make your own, and many have no choice about it.. it’s a make is ourselves or not have bread at all.. and the kids tend to want bread.

Nicole

December 16, 2011 at 4:28 PM

Davina, I can’t thank you enough. I couldn’t have said it better myself! xoxo Nicole

Hi Nicole, I’m back again. I have a question for you. I write a weekly gluten-free, vegetarian recipe roundup. It goes out every Friday. The format is pretty basic: name of site, link to a specific recipe, and photo underneath. I plan to include these rolls this week. If it’s OK with you, I’d be happy to include a picture from the post. I think people are more interested in recipes if they can see a picture. But, I always like to ask first.

Okay, I broke down and ordered the proofer…my Christmas gift to me (actually us since we both eat bread). The manufacturer is offering free ground shipping via UPS right now! Woot! This recipe sounds heavenly-can’t wait to try it.

Nicole

December 15, 2011 at 8:25 AM

Hi, Carol, How exciting! I can’t wait to hear how you like it. I think you’re going to love it! xoxo Nicole

bookladyDavina

December 14, 2011 at 1:55 PM

i think this is going on my wish list.. it can be so hard to get bread to rise here in Alaska anyway, it’s just too cold most of the time.. (don’t tell but, if it’s something I can’t just leave in the breadmaker, I’ve taken to putting rising dough on shelves in one of the bathrooms I can close of and let the heater run in there.. it works, but no one is allowed to use the bathroom while dough is in there, which can be a bother..) this sounds wonderfully perfect!

Nicole

December 14, 2011 at 2:45 PM

Hi, bookladyDavina, Oh, the hoops we jump through for yeast bread! I can really relate. I’ve not done exactly that, but it’s just because I hadn’t thought of it. My most recent tactic, before the proofer, was to put on the oven, cover the dough with plastic wrap and periodically spray the dough with water to keep it moist. I can’t wait to make french bread with the proofer. The even rise will be like a dream come true! I hope the Brod & Taylor is in your future! xoxo Nicole

miranda

December 14, 2011 at 1:06 PM

Also it seems my tablet wants to do my typing for me. That was suposed to be proofing.

Nicole

December 14, 2011 at 1:15 PM

I knew what you meant. :)

miranda

December 14, 2011 at 1:03 PM

I have a new way to keep up with you. Added feedly just so I don’t miss any more yummy posts. Added the community too but it dident feed the replys. Makes it harder. I love this proofreading idea! I am with everyone else though.$150 is hard to come by here. I still need a new bread machine.

Nicole

December 14, 2011 at 1:06 PM

Hi, Miranda, Feedly is cool. Good idea. I don’t have a bread machine. I don’t like bread machines. I wouldn’t even take one for free. But since you want one, if someone offered it to me for free, I might take it to give it to you. ;) xoxo Nicole

Peggy

December 14, 2011 at 12:15 PM

I am going to have to divert some of my quilting funds toward getting one of these proofers! I love bread, rolls, anything that requires yeast & rising but haven’t been able to enjoy…my proofing methods leave much to be desired! I AM worth it! Will you be adding this company to your site? Thanks, Nicole! You are the bestest friend! BTW, the rolls look yummy!

Nicole

December 14, 2011 at 1:14 PM

Hi, Peggy, It’s so nice to hear from you! I didn’t receive any money from Brod & Taylor, and they’re not a sponsor (although I did receive my proofer for free, as a tester). I normally don’t do product reviews at all, but I felt like this was really special and that, although the price would make it out of reach for some, others would find it really really helpful and within reach. Sounds like you’re one of those! It’s so nice not to have to tweak things to get the right rising temp and humidity. So glad they made this contraption! xoxo Nicole

Janine Krantz Fugate on Facebook

December 14, 2011 at 11:22 AM

Wow. I now have a new Wish List item! Getting bread to rise properly at my house — with no microwave — is a HUGE challenge.

Darlene

December 14, 2011 at 11:02 AM

Oooh! A bun poofer! Cool!

Nicole

December 14, 2011 at 12:13 PM

You just want to talk about Hunn Buns, Darlene. One track mind. ;) xoxo Nicole

Darlene

December 14, 2011 at 3:06 PM

Lol. I’m so transparent.

Nicole

December 14, 2011 at 3:36 PM

Totally.

Pamela G

December 14, 2011 at 10:47 AM

Nope. Cannot afford such luxuries – Shoestrings are kinda worn…. Normal proofing will have to do. But the rolls? AMAZING. Scott wants a good sandwich roll that keeps well – these sound like a plan!

Wow, the rolls looks fantastic! We really try to not have single-use kitchen items, especially large ones. I bet this is very nice though.

Nicole

December 14, 2011 at 10:00 AM

Hi, Kalinda, I know. I generally feel the same way. I guess I should have mentioned that the bread proofer collapses into a really slim little number, and can be stored easily. But I know what you mean. It only makes sense if you bake a lot of bread, like I do. Or if you happen to have the space and the money, and want a guaranteed even rise. xoxo Nicole

Sarah Gallimore on Facebook

December 14, 2011 at 9:30 AM

I may have to look into one of those. Thank you for telling us about it.